


The Mistress of Monteriggioni

by Tanacetumvulgare



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Assassin's Creed II, Drabble Collection, Gen, ignores any of the other Renaissance-era games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 19:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14002752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanacetumvulgare/pseuds/Tanacetumvulgare
Summary: A 100-word vignette for each of Ezio's main targets, told from Claudia's POV.Based off the idea that Claudia is the one commissioning the portraits that appear in the villa's attic after Ezio assassinates each conspirator...





	The Mistress of Monteriggioni

1476 – Uberto Alberti

As soon as it becomes clear that they are staying in Tuscany Claudia sells her jewellery and sends a message to a man in Florence, a painter who had enjoyed her mother’s patronage previously. He works faster than might be expected, but then she has paid him extremely well. He delivers the canvas to her personally and she unwraps the little painting in the study, stares into Uberto Alberti’s face. It’s a good likeness. She plans to put it in Ezio’s room.

“Thank you, Signore.” she tells the painter. “I think there will be more commissions for you in future.”

 

1478 – Vieri de’Pazzi

Claudia learns of Vieri’s death not long after it happens. Her uncle had not taken all his men with him – who leaves his house unguarded? – and after the fighting at San Gimignano a messenger is sent to let them know what to expect. Mario’s death might mean Pazzi retaliation against the town.

When the messenger arrives he’s laughing and shouting. It’s clear that they’ve won, but it’s unclear what exactly happened. When she hears Vieri is dead it jars her like a missed step. She remembers the journey to this town and the men who stopped them on the road.

 

1478 – Francesco de' Pazzi

It is just after Easter. They have been celebrating Christ’s death and resurrection. When the news from Florence arrives it sounds like the ravings of a madman; Giuliano de’Medici has been murdered in the street, Lorenzo de’Medici has been stabbed. What is the world coming to, people ask, when a man – a wealthy, powerful man – can be set upon outside a house of God? Thankfully, the villain responsible for this outrage has been hunted down and slain already, his body hung from the Palazzo della Signoria. Claudia feels nothing but satisfaction this time. Vieri’s father will join him in Hell.

 

1478 – Antonio Maffei

Ezio spends more time on the rooftops of Monteriggioni than its streets. The people laugh about it, but they laugh indulgently; Auditore money is rebuilding their town and they know it’s not Mario’s. The story of Maffei’s death reaches Claudia more slowly than those of the Pazzis. It comes as gossip, not a threat or scandal. People say he died at the top of San Gimignano’s tallest tower, raving against God. They laugh about it, but they laugh nervously and cross themselves. When Ezio returns the story has been forgotten. Only Claudia watches him climb the spire of Monteriggioni’s church.

 

1479 – Bernardo di Bandino

Claudia is alone a lot these days. The house of her childhood never lacked visitors, but people only stop at Monteriggioni on their way elsewhere. Mario spends his time drilling his men. Ezio comes and goes. Sometimes he visits the villa and doesn’t speak to her at all. Her mother has not spoken since Florence. Maria has made no attempt to run this household. She kneels in her room, hands clasped in prayer. Claudia fantasises about shaking her until she cries out, but when she catches the maids laughing in the kitchen about the silent Signora she dismisses them all.

 

1479 – Stefano da Bagnone

Ezio decides what should be renovated in town and Mario’s architect draws up the plans. It is Claudia who makes everything happen. She hires the labourers, buys the materials. She mediates when the architect and the foreman fall out. She arranges for a doctor when a rope breaks and three men are crushed beneath a crane. She draws up contracts between the Auditore family and their tenants. As money comes back in Claudia sets most of it aside. She doesn’t ask what Ezio spends it on. She saves some as well, just in case they ever need to start again.

 

1479 – Francesco Salviati

It comes out that the Archbishop of Pisa himself was involved in last year’s attack against the Medici. The servants cannot stop talking about it – a scandal involving the great and good that doesn’t affect their livelihood is the best kind of gossip. It’s improved immeasurably when Mario begins hiring mercenaries and Ezio returns home. They ride out secretly and afterwards the servants gather to talk about the bravery and loyalty of the Auditore. They like being on the winning side, especially when the fighting is far away. Claudia wonders how long her family will be useful to the Medici.

 

1480 – Jacopo de' Pazzi

Rumours of Jacopo de’ Pazzi’s death are slow to reach Monteriggioni. Unlike his nephews, his demise was not a public one. The people say that he was set upon late at night outside the town of San Gimignano. Perhaps it was robbers they say and then they whisper that a man who plotted against Lorenzo the Magnificent should probably have been more careful about where he went and who he went there with. Claudia sometimes wonders what her brother would say if she asked him where he goes. She suspects that he would tell her not to think about it.

 

1485 – Emilio Barbarigo

It has been nine years since her father and brothers were hanged. Claudia often imagines a different fate for them. Frederico and Ezio both married with children of their own, expanding their father’s business. Petruccio running errands as Ezio had once. Their mother doting over her grandchildren. Would Petruccio run errands though? Perhaps their growing wealth would have made life different for the baby of the family. Claudia always finds these daydreams get away from her. She imagines Frederico quarrelling with Giovanni over business plans and Ezio’s wife weeping over his many mistresses. How can you be certain of happiness?

 

1485 – Carlo Grimaldi

It takes Claudia some time to makes sense of the reports she hears from Venice. The Doge has been slain – this is clearly true. A demon with wings like a bat flew into his palace and killed him. A man in a white hood stabbed him. His heart failed him. Every traveller from Venice has a different story. One of the Doge’s advisors was there. He was stabbed by one of the Doge’s own guards in the confusion. He was stabbed by an intruder. He stabbed himself. He died of fright when he saw the demon come for the Doge.

 

1486 – Dante Moro

She still thinks of herself as Claudia Auditore da Firenze, although she has now lived in Monteriggioni for eight years longer than she lived in Florence. Every morning she stands outside the villa and looks out at the town, noting how she has changed it. Her uncle Mario owns this place and her brother Ezio has financed it, but they come and go while she has watched it grow as if it were her own child. She was there when they reopened the mine. She taught the brothel madam proper book-keeping. She knows in her heart that Monteriggioni is hers.

 

1486 – Marco Barbarigo

Two Doges of Venice murdered in as many years! But Venice has been through eight rulers since Claudia was born; Doge of Venice is not a profession that men pursue if they desire a long life. Barbarigo’s death is as unclear as his predecessor’s. He died during Carnevale. He was making a speech and then fell down. Perhaps his heart stopped from the noise of the fireworks? Everybody nods at this – loud noises are known to stop the heart. There is another rumour though. Some say that Barbarigo’s men found him bleeding, although nobody was close enough to stab him.

 

1486 – Silvio Barbarigo

She is certain that when her brother looks at her he still sees a fifteen year-old girl. She is twenty-five and should have been married years ago. Claudia has tried to picture that life. Her husband would have been a businessman, a banker perhaps, a colleague of her father’s. There would have been a fine house in Florence. There would have been children, if she had survived the births. Ezio has never suggested that she marry so neither has she. Whenever he returns to Monteriggioni she greets him with the same question. “Are you here to look at the books?”

 

1499 – Rodrigo Borgia

Claudia cannot remember when she started listening at doors. As a child there was no need to know what plots were being laid in her father’s study because she was certain she was protected from them. Now she likes to know what is being planned under her roof. Forewarned is forearmed and her uncle and brother have never taken her into their confidence.

This is how she hears them making plans for Ezio to travel to Rome.

For the first time she writes to the painter before receiving the news. “Signore, I believe I have one final commission for you.”


End file.
